Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Dye

Clairol Natural Instincts took the top spot. It placed first in the lab for both initial and final gray coverage and for shine retention on hair swatches. At home, after using Natural Instincts, testers found that their hair color was the likeliest to actually match the color swatch on the box and that this product had the least offensive smell. "A pleasant fruity scent," noted one. It also received the best marks from consumers for making hair smooth, soft, and silky, and (along with runner-up Garnier HerbaShine, details below) for fade resistance. Testers also praised its unique inclusion of Week 2 Color Refresher, a rinse-out treatment that delivers key pigments lost two weeks after coloring. "It gave my color a kick. I'm still happy at week four," said one volunteer.